In the early hours of November 20, 2020, 43-year-old John Patrick Halfmann was found deceased from a gunshot wound in a shed located in the 700 block of East Fifth Street in Roswell, New Mexico. A resident of the property discovered his body and promptly notified the authorities.
The Roswell Police Department swiftly initiated an investigation into Halfmann's death. Their efforts led them to seek Manuel Villarreal, then 36 years old, for questioning regarding the incident.
Villarreal was described as approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
On November 27, 2020, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Villarreal, charging him with first-degree murder, intimidation of a witness, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was apprehended later that night.
In March 2023, a jury found Villarreal guilty of all charges related to Halfmann's death. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction, with an additional 11 years for witness intimidation and firearm possession by a felon.
John Halfmann was remembered by his family and friends as a self-taught tattooist, talented musician, and a person with a loving spirit and great sense of humor. His untimely death was a significant loss to those who knew him.
